TESC Partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance

Team Elmhurst Soccer Club (TESC) has renewed its partnership with the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) for 2012 to ensure a positive, character-building experience for all youth athletes in our programs. PCA, a Stanford University-based non-profit organization, has the mission of “transforming youth sports so sports can transform youth” conducting workshops for coaches, organizational leaders, and parents involved in sports organizations like ours. The workshops are based on the principles contained in the "Double-Goal Coach" by Jim Thompson, founder of PCA.

Positive Coaching Alliance

(click picture above for PCA website)

Positive Coaching Alliance Principles at TESC

TESC is committed to positive coaching applying the principles of Positive Coaching Alliance. Positive coaching has two goals – to win, and to use the sports experience to help young players learn “life lessons” and positive character traits that will help them be successful throughout their lives. The following three positive coaching principles guide our coaching methods to help coaches, parents, and players work towards achieving these two goals.

1 – Redefining “Winner”

To help our children get the most out of competitive sports, we expand what it means to be a “winner” to encompass players who:

•Make maximum effort.

•Continue to learn and improve.

•Refuse to let mistakes (or fear of making mistakes) stop them.

This is called a Mastery Orientation. PCA says that the Tree of Mastery is an ELM Tree where ELM stands for Effort, Learning, and rebounding from Mistakes. If our players keep these things in mind, they will develop habits that will serve them well throughout their lives. Players who are coached with a Mastery Orientation tend to have reduced anxiety and increased self-confidence. And when players feel less anxiety, they are more likely to have fun playing their sport and to do better!

2 – Filling the Emotional Tank

Research shows that the home team wins about 60% of the time because of the emotional support a team receives when it plays in front of its own fans. Like gas tanks in cars, athletes have “Emotional Tanks” that need to be filled to do their best.

3 – Honoring the Game

Honoring the Game getting to the ROOTS of positive play, where ROOTS stands for respect for

• Rules: We don’t bend the rules to win.

• Opponents: A worthy opponent is a gift that forces us to play to our highest potential.

• Officials: We treat officials with respect even when we disagree.

• Teammates: We never do anything that would embarrass our team on or off the field.

• Self: We live up to our own standards regardless of what others do.

For information and tools to apply these principles, follow the links below.